Episode No. 9 recap: "The Ultimate Fighter 10: Heavyweights"

It’s week nine of “The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights,” and it’s time for the quarterfinal round to begin.

Team Rashad members are going to have to face each other quickly, as seven members of the team made it to the final eight compared to just one for Team Rampage. And while Evans basks in the glory of his accomplishment, he also realizes the difficulty in preparing his team members to square off.

Evans holds a team meeting and decides that the team will continue to work on conditioning together, but he and the staff won’t be implementing gameplans. Evans feels it’s the only way not to show any favoritism.

Justin Wren, who faces Roy Nelson in the opening quarterfinal, admits working out at the same time as his opponent is a little odd, but he does take the chance to scope out his competition.

Nelson playfully offers to advise Wren on any techniques he may need for the fight.

The attention quickly shifts to Matt Mitrione, and the news doesn’t seem good. Mitrione says he’s still experiencing some complications from his earlier fight with Scott Junk, though his team offers little support. Wren and Darrill Schoonover both think more is being made of Mitrione’s condition than it deserves, though MMAjunkie.com blogger Brendan Schaub believes a concussion may be causing the issues.

With a potential injury in the works, a familiar scene plays out: Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson hoping that this is his shot at a return to the tournament.

UFC president Dana White interjects to state that the coaches will determine a suitable replacement if Mitrione isn’t able to go, so Slice apparently isn’t a shoe-in.

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and assistant coach Tiki Ghosn admit they’d really like to get Slice back in the mix, and they continue to work with the former streetfighter as if he’s preparing to fight again. Slice calls himself “a fight contractor,” and says he’s working on putting more tools in his belt.

As Team Rashad hits the gym, word gets around that Mitrione spent the previous night in the hospital. Evans says he hasn’t heard any news about the future of his fighter, but even he wouldn’t mind seeing Slice back in the tournament.

While Team Rashad works in the gym, Jackson and Ghosn are outside looking to pull a prank. Since the painting they commissioned earlier in the season didn’t get the desired reaction, Jackson decides the best way to upset “Team Cocky” is by placing some cocks (chickens, guys) in their cars.

Jackson said there was some planning that went into the prank, and a full day of chicken-feeding was required for the proper result.

Jackson and Ghosn watch the reaction of Evans and his team, but once again the comical nature of the reaction disappoints them. It’s another backfired effort.

Back at the house, Mitrione makes it home from the hospital (or, as Wes Sims puts it, “the gynecological appointment”). Slice asks for some info, and Mitrione just says, “He rattled my brain.” No one knows quite what to make of the entire deal.

White makes a surprise visit to the house to check on Mitrione. The fighter says he’s ready to go, but there also seems to be a bit of hesitation. Mitrione expresses concerns about past concussion-related injuries from his football career, and White says he has to be focused on his fighters’ health, especially when it’s related to head injuries.

Mitrione insists he’s ready to fight, but he and White decide the doctor will be the ultimate judge.

In the meantime, the Nelson vs. Wren fight is nearing, and the guys in the house are having a tough time picking a winner. It appears to be a well-matched bout. White seems to lean toward Wren and says that he has yet to be impressed by Nelson.

The fighters hit the scale, and Nelson weighs 264 pounds, while Wren comes in at 250 pounds. After a bit more pre-fight posturing, it’s time to determine the season’s first semifinalist.
ROY NELSON VS. JUSTIN WREN

Nelson pushes Wren against the fence and delivers a few knees to the legs. The action is slow, and Rosenthal calls for a restart.

Wren again moves forward behind his hands, and a few of the shots connect. Wren has Nelson against the cage but elects to move back to the center and reset.

Both fighters continue to exchange brief flurries in moderately paced action. Wren appears to get the better of it, though the difference is minimal.

Nelson lands a low kick, and as time closes on the opening round he begins to find his range. Wren chases as the round wears on, and Nelson continues to back away and fire counters. It’s a close opening round as the second begins.

Both fighters get advice from their teammates in the corner, as Evans has stayed true to his word of not coaching. The second frame opens with a touch of gloves.

Wren opens aggressively, but Nelson is able to circle away and counter. The pattern repeats, though Wren mixes in a few leg kicks that score. Both fighters continue to wing heavy punches, though the strikes come only in spots.

Nelson appears the fresher of the two fighters, and he steps up the attack in the closing seconds. Wren tries to answer but can’t. It’s another close round, but it doesn’t earn the “sudden victory” conclusion that most everyone in the gym feels it deserves. Instead, White comes in and announces that Nelson has won the fight by majority decision.

Wren is emotional after the loss and thinks he made a mistake by not working for the ground. Nelson tries to get some props from White, but the UFC exec isn’t prepared to offer them just yet.
Nevertheless, “Big Country” is the first semifinalist.

Catch new episodes of “The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights” every Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Spike TV. MMAjunkie.com will recap each episode of the reality series, and full series coverage can be found on “The Ultimate Fighter 10” page.

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